Implications of waiting until after the Bowl Game

I'll let brandon_lundberg take care of this one.

Journey sucks. You lose just for having that god awful song on your ipod.

prove they are capable of improvement and progress.  On the other hand, I doubt Harbaugh or any other coach wants to abandon their team before the bowl game.  It didn't work so well for RR coming here.

The gauging of JH's interest is valid, and that interest will probably be the convincing factor for DB.  If the interest is not overwhelming, RR stays and DB lives and dies with the decision.  If the interest is overwhelming, then what?  What do you do and more importantly, when do you do it.

Do you publicize the decision to help recruiting or to stabilize the staff or try to calm an angry, dis-illusioned fanbase/alumni?  No matter how you look at it, not an easy decision.

Here's my guess.

Thanks.

Personally, if he was going to fire RR it would have to be this coming wk sometime, which i don't think will happen at all..

If he waits till after the bowl game to even try to hire someone, not only does the new coach only have less than a month to do solid recruiting who knows how many kids will decommit because they wanted to play for RR.

I think it would be a disaster if they made the head coaching move after the bowl, but i wouldn't be surprised to see Gerg or the rest of the staff on D go if it means RR's job otherwise.  RR didn't look to pleased with Gerg several times during the game today per usual.

To think another coach would come in and magically turn our 18 year old freshman on D into big ten title contenders is pretty out there.  Could they get better ? sure, but we could just hire a  new D coordinator instead of completely cleaning house.

you're right back where you started, especially if Gibson et al stay on.

DB may have no choice.  Besides a new DC won't make the players any older than a new coach.

The real question is "the implications of waiting until after 2012"? Because for all intents and purposes, this is where we are headed.

RR and co. better improve significantly or we will be right back here next year.  btw, if we're here next year, they should all go, no matter what.

I think any rational person would agree that if we are having this same argument in 12 months, the entire coaching staff should be cleared out. We are a long way from that happening. I know that people want Michigan to show improvement by having wins over our traditional big 10 rivals. Does it matter to these same people that those teams are ranked 6,7 and 9th in the nation? This is not a comparison of apples and apples when looking at player talent. 

We definitely have youth and inexperience. Despite seeing our team get torched today, I took away some positives. I think our defense played a pretty damned good 1st quarter and most of the 2nd quarter. Coaches can only try to educate the players on ball control (don't turn it over) and mistakes in position or play reading.

Has every graduate of the University of Michigan graduated with a 4.0? No. The professors and the University give the students the tools and information necessary to get a 4.0, but for some reason, some kids get it and others take a longer time to get it. Until they let the coaches strap on the helmet and put on some pads, they are not responsible for everything that happens on the field (good or bad).

Coaches need to put their athletes in a position to win games. Give them the tools and see what they can do with them. I say just give them some more time. 

heres to hoping they give rich a contract extension monday

Houses take a good 30 or more days to close, unless Jim plans to pay all cash.

Lot's to consider.

I'd have talked with Harbaugh already.  

I agree that it's either Harbaugh or bring back RR.  If the latter, I'd give him a 2-year extension to shut everyone up.  I really don't want to be discussing RR's future next November again.

BTW, if I remember correctly RR's buyout goes down on Wednesday.

Lloyd Carr.

Does DB need to make a statement one way or the other about RR's job security prior to the bowl game? I am worried that potential recruits may see how hot RR's job seat is now and jump off the UM ship. This is an important time for recruiting, especially since many top notch athletes will be making their decisions post-HS playoffs and the all-star games. So, given the already high levelof negative recruiting (or at least documented), I feel like waiting until after the bowl game to make an announcement will just fuel the speculation about job security and affect possible player commitments.

We've all been caught up in this debate for so long with ignorant fans, family members who don't want to listen (or worse listen to mass media ahhh), etc.  Today I have nothing.  I have no idea what to say about that game.  Whatever it would be wouldn't be anything I haven't said before.

But I'm comfortable with not debating anymore.  I would love to keep the coaches and prove the haters wrong, but ultimately I root for the team and not the coaches.  And I'm glad I don't have to make that decision.  So there's no point in me worrying about it.

I imagine some change will happen.  Obviously I don't know what, but Michigan will still be Michigan and I'll still root for them regardless of whatever happens.  

I'm going to try to avoid the board for a while.

DB can't just be hanging out with recruits, any more than any coach can...even less. And I'd be mighty suspicious if I was Rich and Dave suddenly wanted to be all involved in recruiting.

....for the future.

I believe RR and even Gerg had a great gameplan for this game going in. The first two drives went 3 and out and our O was moving the ball well against them. If not for the dropsies by Roundtree and the fumble by Denard, UM could have been up 14-0 or more at the end of the first quarter. The decision to hold Hagerup out ended up biting us all game long with only one decent punt, and that was by Tate when tOSU had the game well in hand. I applaud RR though for sticking to the rules, no matter how it affects the team. He has integrity, unlike many of the other coaches I've witnessed over the course of the year.

Unfortunately, the seeming non-competitiveness of the team after the kickoff return TD will overshadow that first quarter and a half of good play. And with that, the screaming for RR to be fired, as seen on here since the end of the game, is louder than ever. It is very unfortunate because I believe the defense is starting to believe in themselves and with an entire offseason and better conditioning, could be ok next year. It is also very unfortunate because the offense has shown the ability to move the ball against the best defenses the B10 has to offer, although even that is somewhat overshadowed by the youthful mistakes they've made which ends up killing drives. They could be a very, very good offense next year.

If a coaching change is made, IMO we will end up in an almost neverending cycle of never being good enough to compete for the B10 championship due to the fanbase calling for the head of the coach before the coach has a decent chance of making something good happen. I don't believe Harbaugh can come in here and have this team competing for the B10 in year 3 given the changes he will have to make. And if RR goes after year 3, the precedent will have been set and no coach can expect more than 3 years to have this team competing at an acceptable level in the future.

Now, having said the above, I feel that RR should be given at least one more year, with or without Gerg as DC.

Anytime you post anything remotely critical .... even though you are devote fan you get negged.

That is a sad commentary on striving to be the best.  Maybe that is why we have hit the dumps.  Criticism is good for men that have character and can build with the input.

There are too many kids that know nothing about UM ootball posting their limited opinions on this board.  Go Blue.  Here is to OLD UM Football.

At 7-5 and unranked we'll likely have an earlier bowl.  Whereas our two main targets would likely be Harbaugh or Miles (I know Miles isn't popular in these parts, but the man has only lost to Auburn and he has a special clause in his contract for a low buyout if he comes home to Ann Arbor).  Both of those teams are ranked and will likely be playing in a bowl after ours.  

So DB has time to see how RR does in a bowl, see two other people do in their bowl and then puts in the wheels in motion if he feels the need.  The big loss would of course be recruiting time by not making an official until the the first week Jan.

I've always felt like DB is looking for reasons to keep RR, not fire him but man RR did not do himself any favors today.  He'll have 15 practices now to show DB something.  Of course the big problem is beating up some other middle of the pack team from another conference doesn't really make up for getting Tressel's foot so far up your ass you could tie his shoelaces with your tongue.

Wouldn't this be interesting: What if Stanford played Ohio State in a BCS game and they got killed. What would the fans say then?